The discoveries of Coptic books containing Gnostic scriptures in Upper Egypt in 1945 and of the Dead Sea Scrolls near Khirbet Qumran in 1946 are commonly reckoned as the most important archaeological finds of the twentieth century for the study of early Christianity and ancient Judaism. The translations of the Dead Sea Scrolls texts follow established scholarly divisions, e.g., "Hymns and Poems," "Calendars, Liturgies, and Prayers," "Apocalyptic Works" and "Wisdom Literature. The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Nag Hammadi Codices. The political circumstances of Egypt in the 1950s delayed some early publication efforts, but during the 1950s and 1960s some of the texts, especially from Codex I, were published. This assumption, however, is simply wrong. His discussion of the Essene community, whom Vermes believes created the scrolls, the scrolls' meanings for early Christianity and other topics will be valuable to anyone looking for accurate summaries of the fascinating history of the discovery, translation and transmission of the scrolls. Especially in comparison to the fate of the Dead Sea Scrolls, the publication of the Nag Hammadi codices was efficient and a model of international cooperation. subsequently juxtaposed the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Nag Hammadi Library as two diametrically opposed collections by deploying the Dead Sea Scrolls as legitimately apocalyptic and as such completely separate from the Gnostic Nag Hammadi Library. In his analysis he includes both the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Nag-Hammadi discoveries. His goal in this volume is to "disclose the message of these ancient manuscripts about ancient Judaism and to a more limited extent about early Christianity." Vermes's account of the discovery of the scrolls and the events subsequent to the discovery, including political intrigue, makes for fascinating reading. Reverend Potter puzzles me for his objectivity. Vermes has been studying and translating the scrolls since their discovery in 1947, and his was among the earliest translations of the scrolls to be published. It is fortuitous, then, that this new edition is an English translation of all the existing Dead Sea Scrolls collected together in one volume. Their discovery is seen as equally significant, bringing to light a long-hidden well of new information, sources, and insights into early Judaism and the roots of Christianity. The Dead Sea Scrolls have generated as much misinformation as information in the 50 years since a young Bedouin shepherd stumbled upon them in the hills of Judea. Unearthed in 1945 near the town of Nag Hammadi in Upper Egypt, the texts literally begin where the Dead Sea Scrolls end.
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